2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, 28th Feb, 200km, 1.HC

[BeagRigh]

Has this been posted: http://cyclocosm.com/2015/03/how-the-race-was-won-omloop-het-nieuwsblad-2015/

Think Cosmo sums the race, the Steppers errors and Stannard's strength, up well.

 

[bala v]

My very amateur take on it is that Boonen wasn't confident in his sprint, and hence tried a jump instead. If Boonen had thought he had the legs for the sprint then surely he would have just sat on at this point in the race.

One thing Boonen is confident at is his sprint, especially from a small group. No, he attacked because he was too confident about Stannard, and afraid that Terpstra is going to win from attack.

He wanted this one badly, and made some rookie mistakes

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I dont .He was only selfish,ofc I dont blame him cuz his work is always incredible!
Whats your opinion?
Btw I was fvcking wrong about Ian if you remember

I'm sure that Vandenberghs reasoning was that if both he and Terpstra gets away, there's almost no chance that Stannard gets them back, while that risk is much higher if Terpstra is alone. Not that the reasoning is sound, but that must have been his thoughts.

 

[The_Juan]

Well if that was the plan then Boonen shouldn't have attacked since he was the one that had to do the sprint.
Boonen can disagree because he messed up himself.

Well... no, not at all. Up until Tom took off, they really didn't know what shape Stannard was in. So that was his way of finding out.

And no, Boonen disagrees with you because he actually rode the race. You didn't.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

I put Etixx's mistake even earlier than the last 5k's, and it think it came through underestimating Stannard.

When the 4 go clear, you get the leader (Boonen) to sit back with Stannard and not take any turns, and you tell Stannard that they will both have to take turns if the gap starts to close. They knew it was only Sep and GVA chasing them (with Stybar sitting on), why use the 3rd man until you have to?

This. Period. Giving a free ride to Stannard made no sense. Terpstra could've even gone and Stannard woukd've followed. The other teammates ride within themselves, possibly get caught but then they have the easiest ride for 40K of anyone in the chase group (kind of like what they gifted Stannard). Terpstra had a better chance of beating Stannard heads up if they shared the work for those last 40K.

What they did only makes sense if they massively massively underrated Ian Stannard which was dumb. I really think it was an ego/pride thing. Perhaps it was about proving who was the best within the team rather than riding for the win?

 

[bala v]

Well... no, not at all. Up until Tom took off, they really didn't know what shape Stannard was in. So that was his way of finding out.

And no, Boonen disagrees with you because he actually rode the race. You didn't.

Would you please stop defending Boonen! I'm a big fan of him, but he messed it up completely with strong support of his teammates, especially Vandenbergh.

I haven't heard such a bunch of nonsense in a while...

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Would Etixx have had a better chance with fresh Boonen, fresh Stybar, and more lightly worked Terpstra and Vendenbergh against fresh Stannard and tired Vanmarcke and Van Avermaet? (as opposed to tired Vandenbergh, tired Terpstra and half fresh Boonen versus fresh Stannard)

 

[The_Juan]

Would you please stop defending Boonen! I'm a big fan of him, but he messed it up completely with strong support of his teammates, especially Vandenbergh.

I haven't heard such a bunch of nonsense in a while...

I have no idea what you're trying to say.

Or where you're coming from.

Are you from Albania?

 

[Bushman]

Would Etixx have had a better chance with fresh Boonen, fresh Stybar, and more lightly worked Terpstra and Vendenbergh against fresh Stannard and tired Vanmarcke and Van Avermaet? (as opposed to tired Vandenbergh, tired Terpstra and half fresh Boonen versus fresh Stannard)

But would Vanmarcke and Van Avermaet have worked with 4 Etixx riders there? Im not quite sure.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

But would Vanmarcke and Van Avermaet have worked with 4 Etixx riders there? Im not quite sure.

They would have worked to get there: I'm imagining that the Etixx trio will have kept a decent pace, but not too slow: Vanmarcke & Co to have rejoined them at perhaps 12-15km remaining, which looked to be what they were working hard to achieve.

 

[Kwibus]

Well... no, not at all. Up until Tom took off, they really didn't know what shape Stannard was in. So that was his way of finding out.

And no, Boonen disagrees with you because he actually rode the race. You didn't.

I expected you would say this. No I didn't ride the race, but I did watch it.

Boonen was done after his attack, he would've lost that sprint without a doubt. Before that attack he had a chance though. He was the one that started the attacks and thus elimated himself, because he thought Stannard wouldn't catch him. He was wrong and it's really lame to say afterwards that Terpstra shouldn't have attacked..... There was no other option left, becauseof his own actions.

 

[Kwibus]

I have no idea what you're trying to say.

Or where you're coming from.

Are you from Albania?

You know what he's saying. It's obvious just like it was Boonen that messed up.

 

[Kwibus]

But would Vanmarcke and Van Avermaet have worked with 4 Etixx riders there? Im not quite sure.

Both are usully riders you can couton taking their turns, but if they closed the gap and the next rider would be at 2 minutes it would've been crazy to cooperate with 4 Etixx riders. So they would end up in a similar situation, possibly more dangerous. I think that what they did was the right choice. They just messed up the last 8km.

 

[bala v]

I have no idea what you're trying to say.

Or where you're coming from.

Are you from Albania?

Oh yes you have. Im saying that Boonen is the most responsible for this fiasco.

And why is important from where I am coming? What difference does it make? What if I am from Belgium?

 

[Netserk]

Even a dead Boonen with two broken legs would still outsprint a fresh Stannard in the final. Their best bet in the final against a fresh Stannard was always Boonen beating him in a sprint. Terpstra's move wasn't the most optimal move imo, but of course there's no doubt that Boonen's attack was a billion times worse. He made the biggest of all mistakes in the final, though Vandenbergh did try his best to rival him. I think it's obvious from how they rode the final that they don't completely trust each other and put the team's success ahead of their own (The last point is regarding Boonen and Terpstra, Vandenbergh is very loyal, though I do think he isn't the smartest, even for Quick Step standards).

 

[sublimit]

Even a dead Boonen with two broken legs would still outsprint a fresh Stannard in the final. Their best bet in the final against a fresh Stannard was always Boonen beating him in a sprint. Terpstra's move wasn't the most optimal move imo, but of course there's no doubt that Boonen's attack was a billion times worse. He made the biggest of all mistakes in the final, though Vandenbergh did try his best to rival him. I think it's obvious from how they rode the final that they don't completely trust each other and put the team's success ahead of their own (The last point is regarding Boonen and Terpstra, Vandenbergh is very loyal, though I do think he isn't the smartest, even for Quick Step standards).

The same Boonen that lost to Vanmarke in a sprint in the same race a couple of years back, plus with what Stannard did to GVA last year clearly Etixx were nervous about the end sprint.

Stannard owned them anyway and thats the main thing

 

[TMP401]

Are we anywhere near most pages for a one-day thread?

 

[Netserk]

Are we anywhere near most pages for a one-day thread?

It wouldn't be close even if it tripled...

 

[SafeBet]

It wouldn't be close even if it tripled...

Yep.

This thread is currently at 615 posts.

 

[TMP401]

Yep.

This thread is currently at 615 posts.

ah but for a one-day race?

 

[PunchingRouleur]

London 2012
Paris-Roubaix 2011
Ronde 2011

Prime forum years

 

[samhocking]

Overconfidence is the destroyer of many and I think Etixx were simply destroyed by it. I think they were trying to even set-up a 123 podium, thinking counter-attacking Stannard would get rid of him. Etixx simply had too much confidence and not enough respect it's as simple as that.

 

[Kwibus]

London 2012
Paris-Roubaix 2011
Ronde 2011

Prime forum years

Prime years yes, but also the years that the really bad attitude entered this forum. Lot of people dissapeared.